The singer now hosts daytime ITV show Who’s Doing the Dishes? and is back touring with former Boyzone singer Keith Duffy .

But, nearly 20 years after he shot to fame in Westlife, he is the first to admit his life now could not be more different. His biggest battle isn’t fighting off screaming fans but controlling his waistline – and wrinkles.

Brian recently moved out of the spotlight to move in with PE teacher Danielle Parkinson (Image: WENN)

“I looked like some of these people in The Only Way is Essex and they kind of look like a melted candle. So no more Botox for me! I’m going to try to age gracefully now.”

That includes giving up on his battle with the bulge.

“Every time we tour we put on at least a stone each,” he says. “All we do every night after the gig is drink red wine, drink vodka and eat.

“We buy two different size suits. We have one that lasts the first half of the tour and then we change to a size up. I love my food too much. The eating healthy thing just doesn’t work for me.”

Westlife, whose hits include You Raise Me Up and Flying Without Wings, formed in Dublin in 1998 and were managed by Louis Walsh.

Brian with second wife Vogue Williams (Image: Getty Images Europe)

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Brian went solo in 2004 and also branched out into TV.

Westlife carried on without him for another ten years. But while it is rumoured that fellow Irish boyband Boyzone are discussing a big 25th anniversary reunion next year, Westlife have no similar plans.

“I can see the four members of Westlife getting back together, but I find it very hard to see the five of us doing it,” Brian says.

“After I left they became a different band.

“I don’t really stay in touch with them. Everything’s fine when we bump into each other – there’s no negativity.”

Now Brian has joined forces with Boyzone’s Keith Duffy to form Boyzlife.

“We were always friends but since Boyzlife we’ve become brothers and best friends. We’re very similar,” Brian says.

The pair have found one big change since their heyday.

“In our early days the girls would come to our concerts and just scream. Now the audience listen to the songs and they sing every word,” he admits.

He has recently formed Boyzlife with pal Keith Duffy

“The screaming was fun but I’m probably a bit past people screaming in my face.”

Westlife clocked up 14 number one UK singles and sold over 50 million records worldwide. But life in one of the biggest bands in the world took its toll.

“I went totally nuts when I was in Westlife. I didn’t keep my sanity,” Brian says.

“I just did it in a different way to people like Robbie Williams. A lot of people turn to addiction when they become famous.

“Lucky for me it wasn’t drink or drugs. Instead I got quite obsessive with things. I’d get addicted to playing golf, or poker.

“I spent a lot of time in casinos just looking for that rush.”

The singer now spends most of his time on the golf course (Image: Getty Images Europe)

But while the group enjoyed the party lifestyle, they weren’t able to take full advantage of the teenage adoration.

“We were very young and Louis Walsh is so protective of all his acts,” Brian says. “Because we became so big so fast we always had security wherever we went. So it was quite hard to even chat up girls.”

When he was 22 Brian married Kerry Katona, with whom he has two daughters, Molly, now 15 and Lilly-Sue, 14.

After a messy break-up, Brian says they have each other’s backs now.

“We’re almost pushing 40 and I think we’re a bit more mature. We look after each other and make sure we’re okay.”

Kerry also has Heidi, 10 and Max, nine, from her marriage to Mark Croft, and three-year-old Dylan-Jorge with her estranged third husband George Kay.

“Molly would have found it quite difficult with five kids in the house, especially as they’re all younger, so we all thought it was best if she went to Ireland.

“My mum’s still a schoolteacher so she can help and my dad’s retired, so it’s nice that she has her own space now to focus on her A-levels. She’s very smart and enjoys learning, so we wanted to make it as easy as possible.”

But he says more children could be on the cards with Danielle: “I’d love to have a son, so I can start him playing golf and football very young and I can live my dreams through him!”